Reach
by Kuramanamanama
Summary: She waited for him, and the only thing he left her with was a broken heart, a daughter, and false hope. But just because the mother hates the father doesn't mean the child will. Nothing will stop her from meeting her father; not even her mother. Various P
1. Chapter 1

A revised version of my old story Scrapbooks Are Never Finished, which is really a peace of fangirly crap...This is going to be written better, and I may or may not throw in mpreg depending on how my readers feel. Countries may pop out of nowhere, or I may take a different direction from my previous story and focus more on the states or even PruNJ or HolBel if that's how things work out. As such, feedback _is_ a must, so please tell me which direction I should be heading in. Thanks and enjoy~!

THIS IS A PROLOGUE. IT IS SHORT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I AM A ROBOT.

_Disclaimed: Hetalia is property of Himaruya. If it was mine, Germany and Italy would be married and there would be a lot of focus on America's states. Because I'm American. And Americans are self-important. But you watch Hetalia, you already knew that!

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"I love him, Brook," New Jersey swooned, twirling a daisy between her fingers as she leaned against the side of the stable, her eyes glazed over with romantic dreams, a lovesick sigh escaping her lips.

"Mhm," New York—Brook Lyn Jones—paid her younger sister little heed as she fed her favorite horse, black mare named Rosie, a carrot from her garden.

"He aims to marry me, you know," Nina Jessamine Jones announced as if it were not the fifteenth time to date she had said as much.

Brook shook her head, "Lord, do I know! It's all you ever talk about! How about you put that head of yours to use and help think of a way to stir the economy? Not that there's much going on in that head of yours when it isn't dancing in the clouds with that contemptible scoundrel..."

"He's not a scoundrel!" Nina yelped, throwing down the flower she'd been admiring and stomping her foot childishly. "He's a complete gentleman, and I would hope my sister would wish me luck with my marriage! You really should love him, sister! He'll be a part of the family, he will!"

"You are such a simpleton, I swear!" the elder stood to her full height, almost a full foot taller than her sister, and glared down at her. "Just because a man invites you to his bed does not mean that he aims to marry! It doesn't even mean he loves you, Nina!"

A still silence fell over the two, neither moving an inch even when a cool breeze drifted past.

"Three months...Has it not been?"

New Jersey dared not bow her head and show weakness, but in doing so she allowed New York to get a good look of her deep blue eyes, the same shade as their father's. Brook saw the doubt in them, the longing and sheer need; for a moment she almost felt sorry for saying the things she did.

No words passed Nina's lips, and New York, not one to wait on others patiently, turned away from the darker haired blond while tucking a stray piece of her own lighter hair behind her ear. The former colony, now a state, resumed her work while her companion picked up her fallen daisy and started to pluck at the petals, a habit she had whenever she felt anxious about something.

"Brook-"

"I pray you, peace, Nina!" New York refused to look at her. "You've made us all look like damnable fools! Why has he not yet recognized us? And why, all of a sudden, does one of the heartiest drinkers in all of the United States suddenly decide to turn sober? What say you, New Jersey?"

The frustration just bubbled over and out came the rage. New York, a girl known to enjoy the classy theaters of her home and drunken dances alike, hardly ever turned serious. She was a liberal girl, not afraid to show off her ankles in public; England had always chastised her for her indecency. To have New York upset with her could only mean that her fellow brothers and sisters had to be as well. New Jersey, her heart so full of love for the man who had led her through the tough decisions and the war, suddenly felt as if said heart had been trampled and left in the snow to grow black and shatter into a million pieces if another soul dare tried to touch it.

"T-the Treaty of Paris..." the girl practically shook in her boots. "He promised once France recognized us-"

"France _has _recognized us! The Treaty of Paris _has_ been signed! So why does he deny us his ports? He doesn't recognize any more than he recognizes his lack of manners!"

Nina bit her lip, the tears only just managing to keep from falling. "B-brook..."

"What? Does he write you letters filled with fake promises? Does he? He's not coming back, you foolish girl! You are my sister, and I cannot call you a whore, but I can call you an idiot!" she snapped, whirling around so fast New Jersey flinched, fearful that her elder sister would beat her. "What say you, New Jersey? What say you of this man?"

"Brook, I'm with child!" she shouted, then let out a choked sob as the whole world seemed to stop turning.

"...Oh...Oh my..." New York's anger dissipated, only to be replaced with what could only be described as disappointment and utter loss. "You are..."

Nina blinked through her tears and slowly nodded. "The last night he was here...H-he told me..." she hiccuped, her face turning red as she continued. "H-e said...We had to make it s-special b-because he didn't know when he-he'd be comin' back and I—I-!"

"Oh, Nina..." Brook exhaled, slumping down against the stable, her younger sister joining her not a moment later, curling into her arms and starting to sob into her shoulder. "My darling little sister...Oh..."

New Jersey sobbed. "I n-need-! Him! H-he has to marry me! That has to be what he w-w-wanted! I-I can't have no bastard, Brook! I can't!"

"Hush, hush..." New York held the girl close, cooing into her ear. "Breath, love...Breath...Oh, Lord, help this girl...Help this child..."

As New Jersey slowly cried herself to sleep, New York couldn't help but think, _'Both of them...'_

* * *

"She's beautiful..." America whispered as he caught the glimpse of his first grandchild. Granted, he had not wanted to be a grandparent so young; he was only a young adult himself, and his states were mere teenagers, but then again, he had them at that age as well.

"_Younger than she are happy mothers made," _South Carolina had reminded him of that bit of Shakespeare's so-called wisdom, though it did not make him any happier.

"_It's disgusting," _Massachusetts had snorted when he found out. _"Not so much the age, but the father...He's a complete pig..."_

But she was beautiful. Sure, she was just a little round ball of pink flesh, but he could just see it; she was going to be gorgeous.

"I don't know, she looks kinda bald to me..." Bo Stan Jones—Massachusetts—commented, only to be playfully slapped by New York who was also admiring the tiny babe sleeping with her mother.

"Did she name her?" Alfred suddenly asked, eyes leaving the tiny bundle for just a moment to look at Delaware, who had taken the job as midwife.

Delaney shook her head. "No. She wanted you to name her."

"Me?" Alfred quirked an eyebrow, frowning thoughtfully.

"Well, she said that since this is the first time it's happened in our history...Only you've the right to decide the babe's fate..."

"Starting with her name?"

"Aye," Delaware nodded her, her long red locks bouncing as she reached to fluff her sister's pillows some more. The room was cold, even with over a dozen people crammed into the tiny space, and Delaney motioned for Pennsylvania to throw another log on the fire.

America shook his head. "I've named you all along with your mother. They should name their child."

"The bastard don't even know he's got a kid. You know that," Bo reminded him.

"Then Nina will name her. As for her fate, I propose she be the capital of the state of New Jersey. That is, again, something for Nina to decide. She will decide her own capital, and the capital will be one with the girl. The rest of you will follow this pattern," Alfred concluded with a nod.

"...That's how Mummy did it with her other grandchildren, isn't it?" New Hampshire whispered, clutching a doll England had sewn especially for her.

Bo glared at her from across the room; New Hampshire had always been very attached to England, and she still carried around that damned doll even after they had fought justly for their independence. It made him absolutely sick...

"Don't you call that tyrant 'Mummy'!" Samuel Charles Jones—South Carolina—read his mind.

Nora Heather Jones let out a small squeak and clung to her father, who merely sighed, his eyes back on his granddaughter. "You're all still just children yourselves..."

Alfred suddenly felt so very sad looking at Nina and her newborn.


	2. Chapter 2

Well~! I've got some free time~! Might as well get started on this again! I was debating on where to go and what to focus on, but I've decided that the main focus of this story will be the daughter. Things will move relatively quickly, with short chapters, thanks to my lack of attention span, but I hope it can provide a quick laugh!

Thanks a bunch to my lone reviewer!

**Disclaimer**: Axis Powers-Hetalia is not mine...*sadface* Himaruya...My love for you is so bittersweet!

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**1850**

"Mother, tell me again! What he's like!" an exuberant young girl bounced in her bed, wrapped up in her flannel sheets. Her mother sat next to her in a tiny chair, even in private acting the proper lady with her hands folded neatly in her lap and legs crossed appropriately. The same could not be said for Mina, who was absolutely ecstatic with the new information she had uncovered. "A soldier? I bet he was a great general! Right, right?"

Nina smiled softly at her child and turned the knob of the kerosene lamp, lowering the flame in an attempt to calm the alabaster-haired girl. "Indeed he was...He was not the most charming of military generals. I would know, having stood alongside Washington himself, who was the most darling man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. But his looks...Why, they charmed all the ladies of the highest courts!"

A dumb smile flittered onto her face, just thinking about that hair in the wind, those hands in hers, that smile that always had a smirk to it, those eyes that burned like flames against her ocean ones, and—the thing she had found most attractive—that confidence of his that gave a whole new meaning arrogance.

Letting out a sigh, Nina confessed, "I was absolutely smitten...He introduced himself and I just about fainted...What a fool I was..."

Mina clung to every word. "That charming? Wow! I would never think my father to be so good-looking..."

"Why?" Nina quirked an eyebrow. "Think your mother can't find herself a catch?"

The child shook her head. "Of course not, mother! You're very beautiful! It's just...Well, I don't see myself as much of a beauty...I look nothing like you...So I figured my father must be very ugly, is all..."

A laugh escaped the lady. "Oh, you're adorable! Darling, give it time. I was so young when I fell for him—I could not see what he saw in me because I had just crossed the bridge from girl to woman, not much older than yourself. Patience, love. You must have confidence and patience."

Mina nodded, knowing where this was going.

"But do not become arrogant," Nina warned. "Arrogance is not charming in a lady. And keep your head on tight! Do not become willy-nilly just because some lad takes a liking to you. I made that mistake and-"

New Jersey paused in her tiny rant, a glazed over look in her eyes as she cut herself off. Quickly shaking it off, the state looked at her daughter and merely drank in her appearance for a moment, so like his it was uncanny. That hair of hers, white as snow, shone in the moon's light, her smile as bright as her father's. Everything she did reminded her of him; it broke her heart often, but she had grown used to it over the years, and it no longer made her burst into tears at the oddest of moments.

Her heart had frozen over for that man long ago. The only thing that made the rain come was how precious she found Mina. It was the only thing the bastard had ever given her and she cherished it; she hated him, yet loved his daughter more than anything. How she had ever imagined wanting to be rid of the girl, Nina would never know.

"Mother?" Mina questioned, having calmed herself in the time Nina had spent staring into space. "Are you all right?

Shaking her head to quickly rid herself of the thoughts, New Jersey smiled. "Of course...I was just remembering some things...Darling, don't make the same mistake I did and fall in love with a soldier. He'll break your heart when he leaves you for war and doesn't come back."

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**1945**

"Let go of me! Let me GO!" Mina screamed, kicking flailing her limbs, smacking her mother in the face and bruising her legs as she tried to pull back and get a hold of the furious young teen. "YOU LIAR! YOU LIED TO ME! LET ME GO! LET ME SEE HIM!"

"I'LL DO NO SUCH THING! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, YOUNG LADY!" Nina hollered in retort, dragging her daughter back into the house, her brother Bo and sister Brook still sitting gobsmacked at the kitchen table, only just now getting up to help her.

Mina clung to the door's frame as if her life depended on it. "I WANT TO SEE HIM! I _DESERVE _TO SEE HIM! YOU'VE KEPT HIM FROM ME ALL THESE YEARS!"

"ONLY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!"

"IF YOU LOVED ME, YOU WOULD HAVE LET ME AT LEAST MEET HIM! YOU WOULDN'T HAVE LIED AND SAID HE DIED! YOU MUST HATE ME! YOU MUST HATE ME SOMETHING AWFUL! WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?"

Nina let go of Mina's waist just as her siblings each grabbed an arm. "Hate you...? HATE you? MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN YOU! EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DONE HAS BEEN TO KEEP YOU SAFE!"

"WHY CAN'T I SEE HIM?" Mina demanded to know.

"Please, everyone just calm down!" New York tried to intervene, still holding onto Mina's arm and looking at Massachusetts for help.

He nodded at her, then shouted,"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOUT!"

Bo slapped a hand over his niece's mouth, who squirmed even more and continued to mumble against his hand, and nodded at his sister to answer her question.

Nina glared. "He is the enemy! A Prussian dog! Do you know how many of our men he's killed? Thank God we've captured him and can put an end to his madness! The bastard deserves nothing less than death!"

Mina jerked away from her uncle's hand. "NO! Before! You lied to me! Told me all these stories about my father, how he was a great guy, how he was brave, handsome, and noble! You said he DIED! WHY?"

"I just didn't want you to get hurt!" her mother insisted.

"Because I feel so much better now? Because this doesn't hurt, knowing that my mother has been lying to me!" Mina looked to her aunt and uncle. "Are these even my real relatives? Or do I have a family in Cambodia that you're not telling me about?"

"Mina, please! Don't get smart with me!" Nina huffed and crossed her arms. "Look, you! Your father is the slyest fox there is! He'll have you all warmed up to him, and when you're just about getting used to it, he'll rip it all out right from under you! Your father is a dog! And I—I just wanted you to have a father you could be proud of, Mina! He is charming! He did have all the girls swooning! But...He's nothing special, love...You have to realize that..."

Her mother's pleading look did little to gain sympathy from her daughter. "Nothing special? My father is a nation. You didn't tell me that! You said he was a normal human that died in the Revolutionary War! I didn't even know he was Prussian until Aunt Brook let her big mouth slip!"

"Hey!" Brook scowled. "I didn't know you were listening! If you'd not been eavesdropping-!"

"This isn't the time to be talking about manners!" Massachusetts glared over the top of Mina's head at his sister.

"Oh, I apologize!" New York replied sarcastically, but one look from their sister cut the argument short.

"Mina...Listen to me..." New Jersey tried to remain calm. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but only if you stay calm and realize I only did it out of your best interests..."

The girl said nothing, only glaring at the floorboards. Still, she seemed to accept her mother's terms, and slowly asked, "When?"

"The Revolutionary War, as I said. He was a military general, again, as I said. The only thing is he also happened to be the Kingdom of Prussia..." Nina waited for an explosion of questions, but her daughter remained eerily calm.

"Does he know about me?"

"...No," New Jersey admitted slowly. "It was right before he left...He didn't even tell me he was leaving...My letters with requests he meet with me as we had business to discuss were never returned, nor did he to America. He does not care about me, Mina. My thinking is he won't care about you, either...I'm sorry, love. But that's what I meant when I said-"

"I don't care. I want to meet him," Mina icily cut her mother off. "I don't care if he wants nothing to do with me. I deserve to at least meet my father once in my life, don't I? Especially now, when we're about to kill him."

Massachusetts shook his head. "Relax, kid. He's gonna get beat up, for sure, but nobody is killing anybody. If anything, he may just become half a country...Sorta like the second-in-command behind his brother, yeah?"

"Brother?" Mina's eyes lit up. "I have...another uncle?"

Brook shot a look at Bo. "Way to go, genius!"

"She'd have figured it out eventually anyway!" Bo defended himself, letting go of Mina to instead take a threatening step towards his sister.

"Don't you go an' try intimidate me!" Brook imitated him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Stop it, you two! Can you go without bickering for one moment?" Nina asked, crossing her arms over her chest and leering at her siblings. "Honestly, Mina is probably traumatized at the realization that her father and uncle are the most hated, despicable people in the whole word right now and—Mina? Mina? Where did she-?"

Nina let out a gasp when she realized what happened. "That girl is in a world of trouble!"

Fetching her coat, New Jersey braced herself.

_'After all these years...We're going to meet again, eh? Well...I've a few choice words...'_


	3. Chapter 3

Well...There's not much to say...Hum...

Disclaimer: Himaruya owns Hetalia, but I own America! -shot-

**HISTORICAL NOTE:** France did not openly support American independence until 1778. New Jersey voted for independence in 1776. However, in the first two years of fighting, the Americans received loans from France and Spain.

And, if you are curious about the reasoning behind this pairing, there is history to it. Out of all of America's states, Prussia was most involved with New Jersey during the Revolution. While most Germans were allied with Great Britain (especially the Hessians), some came with the French. The most notable was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben of Prussia, who served as inspector general to George Washington.

And now I'm lazy...Here's the rest from wikipedia, with (comments) from me.

General von Steuben is credited with training the Continental Army at Valley Forge, and he later wrote the first drill manual for the United States Army. In June 1780 he was given command of the advance guard in the defense of Morristown, New Jersey from General Knyphausen – a battle briefly led by two opposing German generals. (The decision to use 'Mina' as their daughter's name came from the Battle of Morristown. The N in Nina was just replaced with an M.)

Frederick II of Prussia was well appreciated in the United States for his support early in the war. He expressed interest in opening trade with the United States and bypassing English ports, and allowed an American agent to buy arms in Prussia. Frederick predicted American success, and promised to recognize the United States and American diplomats once France did the same. (This was what Brook was talking about in the prologue.)

However, when the War of the Bavarian Succession erupted, Frederick II became much more cautious with Prussian/British relations. US ships were denied access to Prussian ports, and Frederick refused to officially recognize the United States until they had signed the Treaty of Paris. Even after the war, Frederick II predicted that the United States was too large to operate as a republic, and that it would soon rejoin the British Empire with representatives in Parliament.

There! Some background info~!

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**1776**

"I've no idea what to do...My people are torn..." Nina whispered over her cup of steaming tea, eyes searching his face as if she would find the answer there.

Prussia hummed, leaning back on the legs of one of the chairs in her tiny parlor. He took a sip from his own tea before replying, "Well, my dear, I cannot give you an answer. They are your people. You must do what you feel is right for them. That is the responsibility we have to our people."

A moment of silence passed, New Jersey contemplating his words and her options as he calmly sat there, as if unaffected by the turmoil going on around him. He probably was, too, and Nina couldn't help but hate him a bit for it. The pause in conversation was finally broken by a thoughtful sound.

"This tea..." Gilbert started. "It tastes peculiar..."

Nina nodded. "New Jersey Tea, they call it now. I first came upon it in 1759 as a substitute—a way to avoid the British tax. I brewed this pot myself. Do you like it?"

Prussia blinked. He had not expected her to look at him like that; those eyes were wide and hopeful for his approval. Sometimes she was adorable like this, and it was what finally allowed the battle-steeled Prussian general to discover just why a great empire like Britain would go through so much trouble just to see a few colonies. Nina loved him, and he knew it. She cared more about his opinion than she did about Arthur's.

Just thinking about it made him feel smug. It had been his mission from Francis, after all. His friend was the only one out of the Bad Touch Trio openly helping the North American colonies, but he and Spain were pulling strings behind the scenes. He had been put in charge persuading New Jersey to vote for independence and training her troops, as Francis was much too busy with the others to do it himself.

It had gone well. The girl had been nearly putty in his hands from the start. The only thing she ever seemed to have a problem with was his apparent lack of manners, but a small smile accompanied with a compliment was more than enough to make her forget his transgressions.

And now they were here. This was the final stage in her decision making. For months he had played on her innocence and insecurities to gain her trust. It had finally paid off; she was practically asking him to decide for her.

But he could not. It had to be her decision.

"Different...But not bad..." Gilbert mused, fingering the china. "Tell me, where have your maids and cooks run off to?"

He knew the answer.

"I've sent them to General Washington," Nina admitted. "Many of the women of my colony have left to follow them. Wives have left to be with husbands, lovers to beaus, mothers to sons...Some have gone to be chefs, seamstresses, launderers, and even soldiers in disguise of men..."

Gilbert tried to hide his smirk behind his tea, but he knew she caught it. "Sounds to me as if you've already decided..."

"No, I merely-!" her face was alarmed, but he wouldn't listen to her babble.

"What of the urchins? Can they not be employed? A lady should not be doing such tasks..."

"Sir, they've all gone...Even my prostitutes have left..."

"Ah...Well, then I must use you for a good time, eh?" he winked at her and enjoyed the explosion of color on her face.

"S-sir! Please! I am a lady!" she tried to be angry with him, but they both knew it would never last.

Prussia turned serious. "Your decision must be made, Nina. Your people will make one, but they need your support."

"I am my people, Mister Beilschmidt. Their decision is my decision. I will provide them with support however I may. In the past, we have been weary of breaking ties with Britain...But I fear it is inevitable..."

For a moment he almost felt bad for the kid. Britain was her mother, and now it seemed as if she must turn against him with her siblings. Blood had been shed on both sides. Her father would lead them with chances of victory slim. She looked goddamn lost—pathetic even—and it made him feel the tiniest bit guilty.

_**June 21, 1776: New Jersey votes 53-3 to break ties with Great Britain.**_

_**

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**1945**

It's the first memory that comes to mind when he remembers just who the hell she is. She hasn't changed much; her hair is still the color of gold, she is still short of stature, and her eyes are still as deep blue as the ocean that licks her shores. But there is a hardness to this woman now, and Prussia doesn't like it one bit. These damn Americans don't understand that a country does what it is told by its boss; they act like they wouldn't do the same if they'd been ordered to. He can't stand them.

She approaches his cell, a coat wrapped tight about her. She just watches him for a moment, the way she does when she's looking for an answer, but this time it is not out of adoration. This time she wants her words to hurt him.

Good luck, hunny. Like he gives a flying fuck.

He glares right back at her for a moment, but then decides it's much more effective to smile instead.

"Hey there, doll. Lookin' for some fun? How 'bout you bribe the guard and we can hit the town. You like swing music? Sure ya are. All the kids are into it these days."

_Oh._ Well, that's a pretty look on her face now. It appears that she's mastered her sister's infamous, disgusted scowl.

"C'mon, baby! Don't tread on me!" he snickers, using one of the mottos of the American Patriots just to piss her off.

"If I remember correctly, the Nazis banned swing music."

He laughs at her. What, was that a comeback? He can see her getting frustrated and he revels in it. "Well, I'll be damned! Someone's finally trying to get informed so they can make decisions on their own! 'Fraid I'm a bad dancer? Well, hunny, we got some clubs back home that play their stuff when the officials ain't lookin'!"

"Idiot. You're an official. Shouldn't you be doing your job?"

He smirks at her. "If I was doing my job the way they wanted me to, there would be a lot more people dead. Jews, Gypsies, homos, and even Americans..."

Something in her snaps at that. "Don't you dare talk about taking lives like it's nothing, you pig! What've you done with Mina?"

Gilbert snorts. "Mina? The hell are you talking about?"

"My daughter! Where is she? I know she came looking for you! Don't lie to me again, you bastard!"

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Pent up rage!" he chuckles at her, loving that panicked look on her face. Even though he's chained and behind bars, she thinks he'll hurt her. Oh, she's just as stupid as ever...

"Mother?" a softer voice comes from behind the blond woman, and suddenly a girl with locks white as snow appears, her blue eyes shining when they land on him. "Father!"

She tries to run to him, a smile lighting up her face, but New Jersey sticks out her arm. "Young lady, you will leave this instant!"

The girl rounds on Nina. "And you'll let me finally meet my father!"

"Yes, Nina, let her meet her father! Why would you ever deprive a girl the chance?" Prussia smirks, not knowing what's going on, but wanting to piss off the damned American all the same.

But the state ignores him. "Mina Teresa Jones, you will turn around, and MARCH back home! Do you understand me? You've given me trouble today, and I did not raise you to be like this!"

"Like what? I deserve this! How would you feel if you never knew England? Or America? Don't take this away from me! This is my only chance!"

It's like an interesting soap opera, Gilbert decides, and he watches with interest.

Nina finally gives up. "Fine! Fine! See what I care! But don't you dare come home crying about this! Be home by nine sharp!"

And then it's just the two of them. The kid is smiling so much it must hurt her goddamn face, and it's freaking him out just a little bit.

"What can I do for you, kid?" he asks her, raising an eyebrow and putting on his signature smirk. "Name's Gilbert Beilschmidt, known as the nation of Prussia. And you are?"

"I'm Mina..." she whispers, suddenly growing shy. "Mina Jones...Or, I guess...Mina Beilschmidt-Jones..."

"Right, so what can I-" he pauses, eyes growing wide. "WHAT?"

She smiles nervously. "Do you remember what happened after the last battle of the Revolutionary War?"


End file.
